Burlington Fire Captain Hoschek has spent three decades saving lives

When Burlington Fire Captain Scott Hoschek retires in three years, his family will have accumulated 101 years of service in the Burlington Fire Department.

His father Steve Hoschek was on the department from 1945 to 1981. His cousin Charlie Hoscheck served for 31 years. Scott Hoschek himself joined the fire department in 1986.

But it's not just firefighters who have put the Hoschek name in the public eye. His brother, Tim Hoschek, served on the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors. His grandfather, who immigrated to Iowa from Austria, was a Burlington mayor.

Public service runs in the Hoschek blood.

"You never work a day in your life if you do what you love," Scott Hoschek said.

By that logic, Hoschek hasn't worked for three decades. But his resume and reputation suggest otherwise. He helped fight the massive grain fire caused by the ADM explosion in 1987, just a few months after starting the job. As an EMT, he's helped save more lives than he can count, cutting victims out of twisted wreckage and pumping life into the nearly deceased.

But every profession has a dark side, and firefighters/EMTs are the first to witness the horror of human suffering. Hoschek has endured his fair share of death over the years, and it's not something he takes lightly. It never gets any easier.

"It's something that I'll take with me to the grave," he said. "We see things the general public will never experience, and I hope they don't have to."

Like most firefighters, Hoschek isn't big on complaining. He knew what has was getting into when he donned his firefighter hat, and the joys of the job far outweigh the horrors.

But he won't let his passion for being a firefighter comprise public safety.

"I know I'm coming to the end of my career. I have no intention of staying past 55 (years old). This is a young man's job," he said.

Part of being a first responder is shouldering the emotional burden of being unable to help someone. Scott was on duty when his brother Tom Hoschek suffered a fatal heart attack in June and fell into the Mississippi River.

Scott arrived on the scene shortly after, but there was nothing he could do. It was one of the hardest days of his life, and he knows what those days look like.

"We see most people on one of the worst days of their life," he said. "In this business, it can be family, a friend or a total stranger."

A Burlington native, Hoschek was a self-professed "firehouse brat" as a child, hanging out with father and fellow firefighters whenever he could. But when he made it to high school, he didn't necessarily see a future in firefighting.

"I was a high school kid," he said. "I didn't know what I wanted to do."

Hoschek tried college, but it didn't stick. He worked a variety of jobs, from Exide to making pizzas at Happy Joe's. But those were just jobs — not a career.

When he took a position as an orderly at the now defunct Burlington Medical Center, it felt like another job. Instead, it led him to his inevitable calling.

"Working at BMC gave me a good beside manner, and it made me a little more relaxed at (accident and fire) scenes," he said.

Hoschek also met his wife of 32 years at the hospital. His orderly job led to training as an EMT, which then led to a job as a paramedic, then critical care paramedic, then EMS instructor.

By then, Hoschek knew he wanted to be a firefighter, and he aced the entrance exam with no trouble. He was at the hospital when fire chief Bill Ell (and current city council candidate) told him he would be following in his father's footsteps. His "hooting and hollering" could be heard throughout the hospital.

"I was excited," he said.

He was just as excited when he was promoted to captain in 2008. Hoschek is in charge of the Summer Street Fire Station these days, but his six grandchildren are itching to get more time with him at home.

They'll get that chance soon. Hoschek is looking forward to retirement, but dreads the day he'll have to say goodbye to his fellow firefighters.